Luxury and sports cars shine at Detroit auto show

The Detroit auto show opened with a renewed optimism as confident carmakers forecast more growth and unveiled powerful new trucks, sexy sports cars and an abundance of luxury.

After years of mass layoffs and painful restructuring which brought the US auto industry to its knees, the darkest days of the recession are receding into the rear-view mirror amid booming sales.

Automakers paraded their newest models, many with more horsepower, more aggressive profiles and ever-swankier cockpits, almost in celebration of the US market, now close to its pre-crash highs and girding for more solid growth this year.

With some four dozen new models on offer, consumers were spoiled for choice -- if not overwhelmed.

Luxury vehicles and powerful sports cars stole the spotlight on the second day of the Detroit auto show Tuesday.

Here are the highlights of what was unveiled in the Motor City at the premier US auto show.

+ Toyota's luxury Lexus brand introduced a performance version of its powerful RC coupe -- the RC F -- fitted with a V8 engine that brings 450 horsepower, 383 pounds of torque and an attention to styling and detail that includes a F pattern in the mesh of its grill.